Kinaxis (TSX:KXS) has a new executive in charge of its supply chain software, picking up a long-time Ottawa tech player from a recently acquired firm.

Andrew McDonald will join Kinaxis as chief product officer, the firm announced Thursday. The University of Waterloo grad will be in charge of development on Kinaxis’ supply chain management software, which is used by manufacturers such as Toyota and Volvo.

McDonald comes to Kinaxis after serving for almost four years as CPO at CENX, a New Jersey-based firm with strong Ottawa R&D operations that was acquired by Ericsson last month. His resume also boasts a 13-year stint at Alcatel-Lucent and a few years in R&D at Newbridge Networks in the 90s.

"Andrew's proven track record in growing and leading large-scale product organizations will be instrumental as we continue along our high-growth trajectory,” said Kinaxis CEO John Sicard in a statement.

Kinaxis saw higher profits this past quarter thanks in part to its growing automotive vertical. While the firm’s shares are trading nearly 10 per cent higher year-to-date at $82, the past two weeks have seen the company’s stock price drop nearly 14 per cent.